Current high school graduates are unprepared for four-year universities or colleges, according to statistics published in a recent report by the Partnerships for Student Success.
Approximately 70 percent of high school graduates attend college within two years of graduating high school, according to the report. However, about 40 percent of those students take remedial education courses in their four-year institutions, and a quarter of these students drop out after their first year.
"College students who have been schooled in the public schools of advantaged suburbs, in specialty magnet schools of cities and in many private schools have, in general, received preparation that serves them well in college," Charles Tesconi, an AU professor of education, said in an e-mail. "Not so, generally, for those who attended economically poor school districts."
Caitlin Aber, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences and graduate of a preparatory high school, said she felt well prepared for college work, but was unprepared for the amount.
"I did not think there would be as much work and reading as there is."
Colin Shelby, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, feels that the Advanced Placement classes he took in high school helped him to be better prepared for college.
"The AP classes I took really gave me a leg up and helped me get the right work ethic for college," Shelby said. "Every other high school class I took besides the APs were a joke."
For high schools to better prepare students for college, Shelby suggested that high schools "split kids up between those going to college and those that aren't and give them a totally different curriculums."
According to the report, state high schools need to make the transition from high school to college more fluid. The report urges states to improve relations between K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions and be accountable for the connection of their elementary, high school and postsecondary education. States' need-based financial aid policies also need to coordinate with students' college preparation by ensuring what is taught in high school is equivalent to what is expected for students to know in college, according to the report.
The report gathered statistics from four states representing varied geographical areas of the U.S., including Florida, Georgia, New York and Oregon. The study called for improved alignment of courses, accountability, data systems and financial aid between state high schools and colleges.
Danna Walker, assistant professor of journalism in the School of Communication, responded specifically to the lack of writing preparation for college.
"Over the past several years in journalism there is a feeling that basic writing skills need to be emphasized," Walker said. "There seems to be remediation in students. Writing itself is a big emphasis in college...Kids actually going to college need to learn to fully analyze books and prepare better outside of the classroom"
